Intuit to Carry Google Offerings in QuickBooks 2007

Intuit will integrate various search and marketing services from Google into its next version of QuickBooks, a move intended to help small business users of the Intuit accounting software promote themselves online.

QuickBooks 2007, due in the fourth quarter, will contain shortcuts and links to Google's AdWords advertising program, Maps Web site, and Base product listing service, the companies announced Wednesday.

QuickBooks 2007 customers will get $50 in credits for AdWords, Google's massive search-based, pay-per-click advertising program, the driver of most of Google's revenue.

Meanwhile, QuickBooks 2007 will link to Google Maps, where users can create a business listing that will be mapped on the Web site.

Auto Feed of Product Listing Info

With technology from StepUp Commerce, which Intuit acquired, QuickBooks 2007 will automate the process of feeding product-listing information to Google Base.

QuickBooks 2007 will also come with the Google Desktop application for indexing and searching PC hard drives. The Google products and services will be featured in a variety of QuickBooks 2007 versions.

The chief executive officers of the companies will hold a conference call Wednesday afternoon local time to discuss the partnership's details.

Microsoft Battle

This partnership with Intuit also opens up another front in the wide-ranging and rabid battle between Google and Microsoft, as each vendor moves aggressively into the other's core markets.

Google, a leader in Web search, has been moving into office productivity software and Web portal services, Microsoft's core markets. Meanwhile, Microsoft is trying to encroach on Google's Web search turf.

Microsoft is also an Intuit enemy in the market for small business accounting software.